Snapfish Book

A (long!) while back, Oprah had a show about organizing your home. One of the ideas had to do about saving your children's work into photo books rather than having huge art pieces to save and all that goes along with the great art your children produce. Snapfish was featured for this purpose. So, I got right on board trying out one of these books. I--I mean, my hubby and I--had this great idea. My father-in-law passed away quite suddenly a year and a half ago. At the funeral, everyone was given an opportunity to share a memory of him if they wanted to. Up to this point, my mother-in-law just kept these pieces of paper in a zip-lock. While I think I might be the queen of Ziploc, I figured there had to be a better place for these memories. So, we decided to put them in a book--the Snapfish photo book.

So, we did. . .but the book never arrived. I contacted the company. . .a few times. And in the end, it turned out they had lost my order. I was sad, and too annoyed at the time and at it all to re-do it. (It was quite a bit of work!!!) So. . .I left it alone for a bit.

Then, I got an e-mail on Valentine's Day. That would be about 4-5 months after the order was ever placed. That would be 2 months after I had heard that my entire order was lost. the e-mail told me my order was being shipped. What order? I thought. Two glorious weeks later, what arrived in the mail, but the book I had originally ordered!!!

The above picture is the cover. the nice hard cover. Below is one of the inside pages (of my father-in-law and our family), to give you an idea of what we did. We inserted all the memories people had written, and also put in many of the pictures from the slide show that was shown at the funeral.
As a side note. . .the one picture of Frank holding little baby Allyson. . .that is one of the three pictures taken that day--one of the three pictures we have of Frank even holding Ally. It is also one of the two time he was ever able to hold her. To our family, that particular picture is a treasured memory.

So. . .I am totally impressed with the book (and the idea!!!). There are lots of companies that do this type of thing. . .such as blurb. Also stores, like London Drugs, Walmart. . .yah. Thank you Snapfish for following through for us. It made me happy (and my mother-in-law loved it, too!!!)

Menu Plan Monday

A little late this time around, but better late than never . (And I knew what I was eating tonight, so it worked for me!) Can you tell I am no longer on Spring Break? Yah, we will see how this blogging thing goes now that my time has become less. . .

Monday- Honey Garlic Chicken Skewers, herbed noodles, Grilled Veggies
Tuesday- Chili and Buns
Wednesday- Panini Sandwiches
Thursday- Chicken and Gingered Peaches, rice pilaf, salad
Friday-Left-overs (or Frozen Pizza)
Snack for Saturday- Easy Bruschetta (see below for recipe)
Sunday- Breakfast for Supper (Sausage Breakfast Scramble from the Cooking on Purpose Cookbook from Wheaton Christian Reformed Church-2008. Thanks, Ann! who gave me the cookbook and submitted the recipe!)

So. . .here is my Snack for Saturday. It's so, so, so easy and so, so, so good. They might have disappeared very quickly every time I have made them so far. I think once upon a time it came from the label of a Miracle Whip Dressing jar. . .but who knows?!?!

Easy Bruschetta
1 loaf Vienna style bread
1/2 c. mayo/Miracle Whip
1 c. grated mozza cheese
1/2 c. chopped & pitted black olives (which I often omit)
1 tomato, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t. oregano
1/2 t. pepper
(I often add a little minced onion as well--sshhh--don't tell my hubby!)

Cut bread in slices. Mix all other ingredients together ans spread--I mean, heap--on bread slices. Bake for 15 minutes at 375F oven or until cheese is melted. (You can also prepare this and save it up to a day. I recommend not adding the mayo part to the mix in that case to prevent it from turning to mayo-water. It's kinda ew! then.)

Have a great week!
(I posted my MPM to www.orgjunkie.com this week.)

Doing Dishes

One thing we have tried to do with our children is to give them small jobs to nurture a sense of responsibility. We started by thinking of things they could do, but that never worked. They never wanted to do the things we came up with. Kids, as we found out, just want to copy what Mom and Dad are doing, so they found their own "chores" to do. Our son has a small obsession with vacuuming (we make it a little shorter so it is easier for him to do). He used to love helping with the dishes, but has now passed that job onto his little sister.

Did you notice how she had to show off for the camera a little? Definitely not my genes! And did you see how she "bonked" into the drawer? Could be my genes. . . Anyway, this is how the dishes turn out each time:

So, afterwards, I am both cleaning the utensils and re-vacuuming some--well, most--areas. someone once asked me why I would bother letting my kids do that only to re-do all it all. And I can honestly admit, I'm a little OC (a little!!!) and on some days, it can bother me! :) But, they are learning, it's kinda cute, and I can't complain about that!

Reading 365 Children's Books

I have a confession to make. I’m slightly addicted to blog-surfing. Don’t point fingers—you are probably just the same as me!

But sometimes it is not all bad. I recently found a blog belonging to a mom who was reading 365 books to her preschooler—reading the 365 books all kids should read by the time they started kindergarten. I was quite intrigued by this idea (being a teacher AND a mom of a preschool-aged child). And of course, I could never find her blog again. If it is you, let me know!!! You had a great blog and book list!!!

But I did do a little researching on the program, or at least ones similar to it. The point of most of these programs is to get you and your child reading together. Each day, read for 20 minutes with your child to give him or her the best start in life. In doing so, you are giving your child skills that include: oral communication, fine motor skills, counting skills, letter sense, letter and word recognition, exposure to the world around them, and the sheer enjoyment of words, pictures, and books. That, of course, only names a few. There are many more great reasons to read together. (Hmm. . .any rainy days lately? A little cabin fever? sure makes the day pass by a little quicker!)

So . . . here are a few sites for you. My goal in my searching was to find the 365 book list that I saw on this blog. I never found it but I found a few other places and books lists to use. (so, any one out there, if you know what I am talking about or are using this list, PLEASE let me know!!!)

This first one, Read 365! is a campaign from out of Pittsburgh. It has a great Brochure that gives a few reading ideas and tips. It give some fun ideas to make reading fun at many age levels! As well, if you go to the link “Get Books” and then click on “Collect Quality Books,” there are a bunch of recommended books to read.

The second one, Grow Up Reading, is the same type of thing. This sight was really great because it gives you a monthly plan to follow from the age of preschool through grade three (Yep, they did the work for you--you just have to follow what it says!). For example, at the preschool level there is a list of 100 suggested books to read as well as a weekly idea for each month. At the grade three level there are a fewer books, but more ideas on how to teach various reading strategies.

So, there you have it: If you want to play a role in helping your child succeed, here are a few more ideas to add to your repertoire. Please feel free to comment and add your ideas, advice, and so forth to the mix! (photo from here)

Words from Wednesday (Devotional)

Expecting Christ

Lately, I’ve had this fascination with Mary, the mother of Jesus. In talking with my sister about a recent Bible Study she took part in, I learned a little more about this highly-favoured young woman. Luke 1:26-38 tells us of the angel Gabriel visiting Mary. Verse 28 tells us that the angel went to her and started speaking of Jesus, who would be born to this virgin girl.

In the Bible Study, a question was posed about Mary’s response to an angel. Why wasn’t she afraid? Why wasn’t she surprised by the visit? Why wasn’t she flat on the floor? It says she was greatly troubled by the angel’s words or what his greeting might mean, but not troubled that he was even there. And then she responds to this unbelievable news very calmly, accepting this huge responsibility from God. How could she just do that? I think I might have been speechless, or arguing with the angel, or freaking out, or . . . the possibilities are endless!

But Mary was expecting this. Every Hebrew woman was expecting this, and maybe hoping they would be the one used by God! Prophecies had been made that the Son of God would come this way. They were eagerly waiting for the Messiah to arrive, to bring peace, to set them free from all their troubles.

Then I began to wonder about me and my own life. We are taught in the Bible that Jesus is going to return. Romans 8:19 says, “The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.” Hebrews 10:35-39 encourages Christ’s followers to keep their confidence in His return and they “will receive what he has promised . . . he who is coming will come and will not delay” (verse36-37). Mary and the other Hebrews lived their lives in anticipation of the arrival of their Saviour. They were taught the prophecies and they knew them. They knew what to look for. They knew how to listen to an angel who might visit them with some great news. So now I have to ask myself, what am I doing specifically to eagerly await His return? Or perhaps, what am I going to do differently now to await his return? One passage that speaks to this is Hebrews 10:19-39. Draw near to God (in prayer, in devotion, in bible reading, in service, in pretty much everything!). . . hold on to hope . . . spur one another toward love and good deeds . . . meet together . . . encourage one another. . .

Other passages to read: Revelation 19:11 and on, Matthew 24, and Romans 10: 18-27

My Latest Project

So. . .it is Spring Break, and aside from being pretty sick the first week, here is my most recent project. It's the comforter and bedskirt for my daughter's "big girl" room--her birthday present. Yep, I'm a head of the game, but when you work and have a million other things you want to do in life, you gotta start early!

(Hee-hee--you can see all my wobbly mistakes!)

This is a close-up of some of the materials I used. . . from Fabricland.

Here is my reverse side. . .I wanted to "tie" it down to the back without having the stitching showing, so. . .I used a "scrapbooking" technique by tying ribbon into the pink buttons.My daughter has a small fetish for small buttons, snaps, and "bahs." There are six of these ties on the back to pin it down. The colour is also a little off--its not a white backing, but more of a creamy colour.

And here are both parts. We obviously don't have her bed set up, so I laid it over my son's bed. Doesn't look quite as good (since I am hiding all of his messy bedsheets underneath, and it needs a little ironing), but I was so excited about it that I wanted to post pictures.
(Hey, Helen! Now do the phone call explanations make sense?)
I'm hoping to make some matching curtains too. We will see. But for now I have to pack it up and hide it all in a closet . . . and wait 'til my little girl has a birthday!

Menu Plan Monday

So. . .first off--last week: didn't follow the "menu plan" at all! Too sick and blah. But I was tremendously blessed by a delicious meal from a super-duper friend! Was I ever thankful for that (and the blessing of having my son over to play so I could do some serious resting)!
But now I am feeling better (it's amazing what antibiotics can do!) So here is my go for this week!

Monday-Pizza (went shopping this morning and found a great deal! I don't have to do anything except pop it in the oven! I love meals that turn out to be less than $5)
Tuesday- Lasagna, Salad. Have you ever heard of lasagna in the crock pot? I've never tried this recipe, but it looks very interesting! Yes, interesting--it will either be good or bad. I think there might only be those two options.
Wednesday-Pork Souvlaki, jo-jos (aka: potato wedges baked in the oven, covered with wonderful, fat-filled stuff!), corn
Thursday (Crock-pot Day)- Thai Chicken, noodles, grilled veggies
Friday-Breakfast wraps. . .or leftovers!
Snack for Saturday-Baked Brie That is for the "shell" and all. You can try that recipe, but I always top my 250g.brie with sun dried tomatoes (1/4 c.), brown sugar (1-2 T.), oregano (dash), parsley (dash), and a touch of Parmesan. Eat with wheat thins or your fave cracker. Use the crust as a dipper. Mmmm. . .I LOVE this!
Sunday-Breakfast for Supper (pancakes and bacon)

My recipe for you: comes from my hubby's mom. It is the first one that always works for me. And I was complimented on it once by someone I considered a phenomenal cook.
Pizza Dough
2 c. warm water
3-1/2 t. sugar
1 t. salt
3-1/2 t. oil
2-1/2 t. instant yeast (or one packet)
4 c. flour (add 3 c. first, the gauge how much more to add. Use the rest for rolling it out)
Mix and let rise 10 minutes. Spread onto 2 pans. (I always spread onto 2 pans, then let it rise in a warm oven-200F. It rises like. . .WOW!. . .and YUM!) Add toppings. Bake at 450F for 15-20 minutes.

Bread maker fans? Here is Pizza Dough for you.
1-1/4 c. water
3-1/3 c. flour
1-1/2 t. salt
2-1/2 yeast
Then let the bread maker do the work for you!

A Cute Cupcake

Isn't this just cute?

Here is just a little something a friend of mine passed along

to me for a birthday not long ago. I thought it was absolutely beautiful! What a beautiful way to form a "bath fizzle" or "bath bomb." She has a great little blog as well!

(She has such a unique presentation!) Check it out if you'd like here.

Words from Wednesday (Devotional)

Psalm 95: 4-5: “In his hand are the depth of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.”

James 1:17: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

If you live in the lower mainland (and perhaps the same happened in other places), this week was full of weather. It rained, snowed, hailed, and the sunshine glowed all within an hour or two during the day. At first I found this kind of annoying. But as I thought on it a little more, I came to the conclusion that it was beautiful. How often does God show his beauty, and we ignore it completely because we have things to do, places to go, our own schedules to stick to, our own to-do lists to cross off? Yet, each morning, God graces us with the gifts of his beauty in creation. Do we take time to notice it? Do we take time to thank him for it? Can we slow down our lives enough to realize that a glimpse of sunshine is a gift? A sudden hailstorm shows God’s power? A sunset shines His splendor?

Spring is soon upon us. One of my favorite parts of being a first grade teacher was guiding those wondering minds to notice the seasonal changes right before their eyes—and to guide them to recognize the One who makes the changes each season! While I may no longer teaching those 6-year-old bundles of energy, I still need to recognize the daily gifts God gives to me each and every morning through His beautiful creation.

Other verse to read: Psalm 90:1-2, Genesis 1:31

If you are a visual person, take a moment to view this video. It took me back to my days as part of a children’s choir when we often sang this song in church. And it gave me a clear “picture” of God’s gifts to us through his creation.

Menu Plan Monday

Well, we (mostly, I) have been feeling under the weather this past week. We'll have to see what the coming week brings. So. . .you'll notice the meals reflect that a little! (I may be piling on the MSGs and all that other great stuff early on in the week, but I have never yet heard my children complain about having Hamburger Helper! And that makes me a happy mom for a while!)

Monday- Hamburger Helper (kids choice!), corn, salad
Tuesday- Salmon (haven't figured out what to do with it exactly. . .) mashed potatoes, carrots (updated March 17--) Okay, I feel blah. Who am I kidding? It's going to be a freezer pizza or something that takes a minute or two in the microwave! We'll see if the rest of the week doesn't just go the same.
Wednesday- Omelets with fixings
Thursday (Crock Pot Day)- Chicken Stroganoff, salad
Friday-Easy Quiche (never got to it last week!) or left-overs
Snack for Saturday- Toffee Caramel Squares
Sunday-Breakfast for Supper (Waffles)

Your recipe this week is Easy Quiche from the Bierlink Family Favorites Cookbook. This recipe was submitted by Aunt Linda.
1 c. milk
1/2 c. biscuit mix
4 eggs beaten
1 c. grated Swiss cheese (I use a mix of mozza, cheddar or swiss--whatever is on hand)
1 c. ham, bacon, or shrimp (never done the shrimp option--blah!)
a bit of onion or green onion to taste
salt and pepper
(I often add a few extra things, like broccoli, peppers, etc)

Mix all ingredients. Pour into buttered pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 34-45 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve immediately. (We often serve with syrup for the kids.)

And for my Hubby. . his favourite snack is this one. Besides chips. And pop.
Caramel Toffee Squares
(also from the Bierlink Cookbook, from Aunt Helen)
1-1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
2 t. more butter

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 T. corn syrup
1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk

2 c. chocolate chips

Bottom Layer: Crumble 1st four ingredients well.Pack into un-greased 9X9" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Second Layer: Combine next four ingredients in heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally as it burns easily. Remove from heat and beat with spoon until it shows signs of thickening. Pour over bottom layer.
Third Layer: Melt chocolate and pour over second layer. Chill and cut into squares.

Enjoy!!!

A thing-a-ma-what?

A thing-a-ma-what? I had to take a second look at the spelling. Yep, that is exactly what it said. Thingamaboob.
I received one of these key-chains from my sister. They were being handed out at a recent Women's Revive Conference put on by New Life CRC. I think it caught my attention because (well, first ,the name obviously stood out!) I, along with the ACS community, have been praying for our colleague who had a recent surgery. This nifty little key-chain is a whole lot more than just a fancy ornament. Check out the Canadian Cancer Society's website and this page to read all about the significance of this cute pink "Thingamaboob."

Spring is trying to arrive. . .

We took a little family walk in the sunshine behind our place, and here are some of the "nature treasures" we found. Eli pretty much wanted me to take a picture of every possible green plant or thing we saw, so I limited this post to a few of the ones that we found!

If you ever need a time-filler (or you have been cooped up in the house for much too long as we have!), take the kids and the camera on a walk to find God's favourite parts of the world around you. It makes for interesting conversations and interesting finds.

Menu Plan Monday

Another week. . .I'm starting out feeling a little under the weather, so hopefully things will improve! But here is my plan for the week!

Monday- Soup (Beef and Vegetable Barley for the Crock Pot), buns
did you see the snow outside??? definitely a soup day!

Tuesday- Ham Steaks, baked potatoes, peas & carrots

Wednesday- Tuna Alfredo (I add red peppers, garlic and grated cheese to this one. you can add broccoli, corn, carrots, etc to make it more of a primevera)Garlic bread, salad

Thursday (Crock-Pot Day)- Tuscan Chicken Sandwiches

Friday-Easy Quiche (Bierlink Family Cookbook, p. 43)

Snack for Saturday- Baked Pizza Dip (variation #2)
Bonus recipe--The BABE Bars

Sunday- Breakfast for Supper day (pancakes (with fruit)and bacon)

Note #1: Monday's used to have a link to www.wyserecipes.blogspot.com (i believe). No longer letting us follow it, so here is my "modified" recipe from them.
Beef and Vegetable Barley Soup
1-1/2 lb. lean ground been (i made mine into meatballs)
1/2 c. onion
1 cl. garlic
2/3 c. pearl barley
3-4 medium carrots, diced
3 ribs celery (i omit this and put some celery seed in instead)
1 (28 g. can tomatoes
3-1/2 to 4 c. beef broth
2c (or more!) water
1 (10-1/2 oz.) can tomato soup
1 bay leaf
1/4 c. minced parsley
salt and pepper
Optional add-ins: zucchini, hot sauce, potato, peppers (green and red)

Brown the meat. then put everything in the crock pot. Cook on low for 7 hours (I stirred it up a few times--maybe that changes the amount of time). Take bay leaf out before serving. Serve with sour cream and/or buns.

Note #2: I had to try another Pizza dip this week! (I had people over a few times, so. . .a variation well worth it! I've served this before baked in a bread bowl. Put all ingredients in a bread bowl, wrap in tin foil. Bake the same as recipe says. Still yum!

Note #3: I figured since the Pizza dip was a variation of last week, you deserve another recipe. Here are easy bars that bring me back to my college days, when the name "The BABE" had significance. :) Sorry . . .not sure where the recipe came from. It was a few years ago.
The BABE Bars
1 c. sugar
1 c. light corn syrup
1-1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
6 c. Rice Crispy or Special K cereal
1 c. butterscotch chips
1 c. chocolate chips

Combine sugar & corn syrup in 2 qt. microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 3-4 minutes on High until boiling. Stir in peanut butter until well blended. Stir in cereal. Press into a 9x13" buttered pan. Set aside. Microwave chips in 2 qt. bowl for 3- 3-1/2 minutes at Medium until they look soft and shiny. Stir until smooth. Spread over bars, cool, cut into squares. Yum-yum!

Words from Wednesday (Devotional)

This post is for the women in my Connections group. (But I figured the rest of you can read it as well!) Sorry I can't be there tomorrow! But here is my "sharing."

"Bring The Rain" by Mercy Me

I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You
Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain

I am Yours regardless of
The dark clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what's a little rain
So I pray

Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty


James 1:12—Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

View the youtube video here

My thoughts on this song:
Right now, I am a grade four teacher at Abbotsford Christian School. I recently taught my students about how God’s ways are not bound by human customs, rules, and expectations. I taught them about God’s plan—a plan that we don’t understand—and how he can use anybody to fulfill it. God has shown this in a few ways to me in the past bit, so I figured I would share something about that.

Last year, I had the privilege of being on maternity leave. I also had the privilege of writing some Bible curriculum on the book of Job.

This was a great little job in my opinion, but I also recognize it as an opportunity for God to talk to me about something I needed to hear at that moment. Job is a character who had a lot of bad stuff happen to him. While his friends try to find something in his life—some sin he committed—to blame it on, Job unswervingly believes that he has not sinned and can’t understand why God would do this to him. And through it all, he never curses God or speaks badly of him. In the end, God pretty much tells Job and his friends that his ways are not for us to explain or even understand. Our job is to just trust him and his goodness. We are not called to understand God’s ways or his plans but to participate in them as God calls us—even if that means losing everything and still standing firm in Him as Job did. Following his trials, God goes on to bless Job more than his previous years.

I recall that my maternity leave started with some big disappointments for both myself and my family, things that I found difficult to understand. We ALL have things in life that we can’t understand. And that cause us to question God’s plan and even his goodness.

Mercy Me sings a song called, Bring The Rain. One part in that song says,
I can count a million times People asking me how I can
praise You with all that I've gone through . . .
Bring me joy, bring me peace, Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You Jesus, bring the rain

Each and every day I am trying to challenge myself to really live out the line, “bring me anything that brings you glory,” and the last part, “And I know there will be days when this life brings me pain, but if that’s what it takes to praise you, Jesus bring the rain.”

In James 1:12, it says, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” Psalm 145 tells us that, “the Lord is gracious and compassionate . . . and rich in love .The Lord is good to all. . . The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. He upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down . . . he fulfills the desires of those who fear him, he hears their cry and saves them.”

Words from Wednesday (My Humble Little Devotional)

Good Intentions

This week has been a busy one for me! Report cards need to get done, a few extra teaching hours, planning for my next few weeks has crept up on me, laundry every day, and I am having a surprise visitor this weekend. (Yes, I know! I found out that my sister is making a surprise visit for my birthday! No one can keep a surprise from me!)

And I had grand intentions of making some great devotionals to post for my new blog. Big plans! I love writing and I thought some short devotionals would be an easy and enriching way to keep up my writing and my walk with my Saviour. But . . . here I am, with no inspiration, no lightning bolts, nothing GREAT to write about.

I came across this verse yesterday in my daily Today devotional reading: “. . .for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purposes” (Philippians 2:13). In my Study Bible, there is a footnote saying that “to will and to act” shows us that our intentions and our obedience cannot be separated. James talks about this further and tells us how Abraham believed in God and also showed it in his actions. Like when he travelled to a new land. And when he was ready to offer his son as a sacrifice. “’And it was credited to him as righteousness,’ and he was called God’s friend.” (James 2: 23b)

I was quite convicted when I read those verses. There have been so many occasions when I meant to do something or wanted to help out, but. . .I never did. Motivation left me, busyness crept up—I may have even talked myself out of doing a good deed! Oh the places I have fallen short. A card never sent, a phone call never made, a meal never passed on, an encouragement never voiced, a prayer never offered.

While I may have had big intentions of using wonderful words, picking effective stories, choosing moving verses, God’s purposes are bigger than all that. So today I chose to act in obedience to that. I don’t have a lot to say—except that I am going to choose to act rather than just thinking about writing something. So while it may not be some grandiose revelation for you, it might be worth a read or worth some reflecting.

Other verses to look up: Genesis 15: 6, Galatians 5:6 and James 2:18-22

A New Project Continued. . .Again

I just had to quickly add some photos of how my humble little project turned out. This one is the main wall in the play room--aka: the art wall. (Yes I landed up returning some of my "great discoveries. The cork boards were not magnetic enough to hold our Fridge Phonics Letters, and the curtain rod idea just didn't look the way I wanted it to. I'm female. I'm allowed to change my mind as many times as I want to. LOL! Instead, I got a plain ole magnetic white board --that still needs some "sprucing up"--and some cording to make a "children's art clothesline." Yes, its on the internet. google it. lots of ideas. i tried one of my own. see? it's cute and all with jungle animals!).
Here are the scrapbooking pictures a little closer up.
(Thank you, Pam, for your nifty circle cutter thingy.)

p.s. I love days off of work. Look at what I get to do!!!

p.s.s. I do like to give credit where it is due, so here is my main inspiration, and here is my jungle inspiration. (Besides, they are pretty good sites anyway!)

Menu Plan Monday

So. . .last week I didn't follow the plan so well. Oh well. Here we go for this week:

Monday- Spaghetti, Garlic Bread (my son could LIVE off of garlic bread!), Salad
Tuesday- Skewers(sirloin), Ranch Potatoes (from the LC cookbook p. 66), corn
Wednesday- Chicken with Apple Sauce, carrots, noodles
Thursday- Submarine sandwiches (nice and easy!)
Friday- Pizza, Pizza. . .or A&W. . .or (some kind of fast food? Please?)
Snack for Saturday- Pizza Dip
Sunday-Breakfast for Supper (French Toast and sausage)

My recipe this week is the Pizza Dip. First of all, I have to say that I LOVE the A Year Of Crockpotting blog! It has become a friend of mine. And my hubby and I love this recipe too--one way to put on a few pounds by eating it for a late-night snack together. I do have to say that I adjusted it a bit to make it more to our liking. I added some finely chopped green onions, peppers and sun dried tomatoes. (And a hint of syrup--don't tell my hubby! I just needed a little more sweetness to it! I suppose if you added pineapple to it, that might do the same. . .). I've also used other meats instead of pepperoni, especially if the kids are having it with us. I've made this recipe a lot. Did I mention that I really like this recipe?